For many products, determining if the product contains mold is an important consideration before the product is placed on the market. Such considerations are particularly important for products intended to be used on or in a mammalian body. Unfortunately, many current methods of testing for the presence of mold take several days to complete. More specifically, a traditional plate count test typically takes about five to seven days before it can be determined if the product contains mold. Such a delay causes the product to consume a portion of its shelf life, even if the product ultimately passes the mold test.